Supporting the Troops Without Supporting the War from Roxanne - @ Rox Populi 07 Apr 2008 8:48 pm
My oldest and dearest friend is set to carry the Olympic Torch tomorrow in San Francisco. Here's the essay that won him the spot:
Arre Mana Anbu Payamaria-adu is Tamil for "Lovestrong and Fearless" as taught by the Franciscan Nuns in Chennai, India. It is an inspirational phrase to guide the journey to promote sustainable development in India. I was visiting India when the Tsunami hit the Eastern Coast of India. I felt the earthquake four hours before the wave hit. The Tsunami wave smashed friends we had just made in Chennai. As VP of Sustainable Development for the Bay Area Council and director of Partnerships For Change, I vowed to assist the Tsunami victims. Five years later we have been able to build a Free School for 1500 kids of the slums directly impacted by the wave. And because of a morning walk in Chennai while building the school, we met the Franciscan Nuns of the Bon Secours Convent. We partnered with the nuns to build a Women's Empowerment Center to provide vocational training for the lowest caste and clean water for a village 70 kilometers from Chennai. We are now creating a business with the women to produce a new healthy toy using environmentally sound materials. The toy will bring joy to kids and provide an economically sustainable pathway for years to come.
I found out my friend was chosen to carry the torch when he called me last week to wish me a "Happy Birthday." From his hospital bed. You see, he accidentally fell down an elevator shaft and is badly injured. Because of this, he may not make the "festivities" tomorrow and part of me hopes he doesn't. Most of me doesn't understand why he'd want to do it in the first place.